Nevada County Picayune and Gurdon Times Newspaper Archive

Gurdon Fire Department allowing out-of-city members

Residents who live inside the Gurdon Fire District but outside the city limits may be confused as to why they have recently received a bill for annual dues to the department, and Gurdon Fire Chief Robert Burns said the concept is fairly simple.

If someone has a house fire in our fire district outside the city limits we have to bill them, Burns said.

The typical cost billed for a house fire is around $800, but Burns said those who have paid the $50 annual membership dues will not be billed should they have a fire.

Its kind of like an insurance policy, he said.

In order to create the statements that were mailed out, Burns said the department obtained a disk of addresses from the county 911 computer. The disk was sent to the Arkansas Rural Fire Protection Plan who administers the program. There is no cost to the city to participate.

Burns said the department has gotten a large number of statements returned due to incorrect addresses.

The first year is going to be kind of hectic. After that it should be smooth.

Gurdon Recorder/Treasurer Tambra Childres said a few people who live just inside the city have received statements, but residents of the city do not have to pay for fire protection.

The concept of having membership dues to a fire department is not new, Burns said. Arkadelphia and Curtis fire departments have done this for years.

Burns stressed that residents do not have to pay the dues to get fire protection, but paying the $50 could save them a lot of money should they have a fire during the year.

Its kind of like the saying you can pay me now or you can pay me later, he said. If someone calls and says theyve got a fire, were going to go. Everyone is protected.

Burns said being a member of the fire department could mean a savings on homeowners insurance if the insurance company knows they will not be billed by the fire department in the event of a fire.

As of Thursday, Sept. 6, five residents had returned their dues, Childres said.

The fire department is requesting all residents to return the dues by Oct. 1.